Controversial Barossa hotel Oscar continues to be the height of drama in Seppeltsfield

Anger over plans for controversial tourism venture the Oscar hotel continues to build as the developer and council reveal a bid to make it more acceptable to locals.

Plans for a landscape-changing resort at one of South Australia’s iconic wine regions are continuing to sour relations between locals, the council and the developer.

A community group, known as Taming Oscar, has ramped up its fight against the $50m Oscar hotel in Seppeltsfield.

The group claims it does not comply with the Light Regional Council’s development plan and the building will still be too visible despite the location changing.

The development has attracted controversy since its official launch on April 6, 2020.

The proposed design of Oscar hotel at Seppeltsfield. Picture: Supplied.

Criticisms of the Oscar have focused on design and the fact that it was classified as a category two development, not a category three development.

As a category two development, only residents who live 60m away from the project can lodge an objection within 14 days. They have no appeal rights.

In July last year, Warren Randall, who owns the land the Oscar will be built on, had a major win when the Environment, Resources and Development (ERD) court found it was tourism accommodation and was accurately categorised by the council.

Warren Randall, who owns proposed Oscar site, hopes the community will come to accept the six star resort. Picture: Ben MacMahon

In their latest bid to stop construction, Taming Oscar members claimed the 12-storey hotel does not comply with the local area’s development plan.

In a post in the Taming Oscar Facebook group, the administrators said the decision to relocate the hotel would only reduce “the effective height by five metres”.

“(It’s) not nearly enough,” the post said.

The administrators also claimed that the public had not been made aware of the decision to relocate the hotel by 10 metres.

Council Development Services manager Lisa Sapio said she would not comment as the residents’ rejection had been put forward to the independent Council Assessment Panel.

Ms Sapio confirmed the hotel was moved down a valley towards Greenock Creek to reduce the visibility of the building by 10 metres.

Mr Randall planned to lower the Oscar to reduce the polarising development’s visibility from major roads, The Advertiser reported in July last year.

“(We’re) seeking as much community input as we can to achieve a watershed development and a moment in time for the Barossa Valley,” he said.

Mr Randall said the six-star resort and spa would encourage visitors to the wine region and would contribute to the Barossa’s economy.

The Taming Oscar administrators were contacted for comment.